Tray.



G. E. BILTON.

TRAY. APPLICT'ION FILED MAY18,I916- Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

GEORGE EDWIN BILTON, 0F TORONTO ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TONORMAN CECIL MAYNARD, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

TRAY.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE EDWIN BIL- TON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain} and resident of 14 Bloomfield avenue, in the city ofToronto, county of York, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, havetrays as described in the present specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel construction andarrangement of parts whereby legs hingedly secured to the underside ofthe tray are adapted, through the operation of the tray handles, to foldinwardly flat against said tray or to extend at right angles thereto toform supports for said tray.

The objects of the invention are to provide a supporting means which maybe readily folded out of the way, to facilitate transportation, toprovide a tray, the operating mechanism of which is entirely concealedfrom view when the legs are collapsed and generally to provide a simple,durable and efiicient tray.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tray showing thelegs extended and supporting said tray.

Fig. 2 is a viewof the bottomof the tray with the legs in their foldedpositions.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through one end of the trayshowing the position taken by the operating levers when the legs areextended.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through one end of the trayshowing the position taken by the operating levers when the legs arefolded. I

Fig. 5 is a view of the underside of the central portion of' one end ofthe tray show-' ing the means for locking the legs in their extendedpositions and the releasing means.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings 1 is the tray top of substantially rectangularshape and having the frame 2 extending therearound, said frame beingadapted to project above said top to form a rail for the protection ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

the contents and to extend downwardly a sufficient distance to concealfrom View the legs and their operating mechanism when said legs arefolded;

3 are transverse wooden strips secured to the under side of the top 1adjacent to each end thereof and forming brackets to which are securedthe transverse leg supports 4 bymeans of the hinges 5, said supportsbeing positioned a sufiicient distance from said frame so that whenturned backwardly on said hinges their outer sides will abut the saidframe.

6 are legs rigidly secured in pairs to the supports 4 said legs being sopositioned on said supports that the legs from one support will foldbetween the legs of the other support.

7 are metal plates countersunk in the leg supports Kl intermediate ofthe length of said supports and having theirends 8 projecting portstightly in engagement with the frame ,2.

9 are wooden blocks rigidly secured to the under side of the tray 1adjacent to the strips 3.

10 are fiat metal springs secured to the blocks 9 by the straps 11 andhaving their ends 12 extending outwardly in substant ally arc shape andadapted to abutthe pro ecting ends 8 of the plates 9 to hold them r 1g1dwith the frame 2.

13 are spring releasing plates loosely mounted on the sides 14 of theleg supports 4 and slotted as at 15 to accommodate the plates 7 and theouter ends 12 of the springs 10, said plates having their ends bent atright angles and curved outwardly over the edges of the supports 4 andforming the lever handles 16 for raising said plates 13 to force thesprings 10 from engagement with the plates 7 to allow the legs 6 toproceed to their folded positions.

' Patented Apr. 3, 1917. Application filed May 18, 1916. Serial No.98,474.

nally through the grips 18 and being rotaframe'2 and completing theconnections between the spring releasing plates 13 and the handles orgrips 18 for operating the legs. When the legs 6 are extended and it isrequired to bring them to their folded positions the tray is lifted bymeans of the han- -dles or grips 18 and said grips are then turned by aslight inward pressure of the wrist of the operator thus forcing thelower ends of the levers 20 inwardly and causing the links 21 to presson the lever handles 16 and as the plates 13 are but loosely 'secured tothe leg supports 4 this pressure on the handles 16 causes the saidplates 7 to force the ends of the springs 10 out of engagement with theplates 7 and allows the legs to slide along the curved portions of sa1dsprings to their positions against/the tray top where they are held bythe pressure of the said springs against the said leg supports. 7 VIt'will be seen that when the legs are in the folded positions thelevers 20 enter the slots in the brackets 17 and the tray assumes theappearance of an ordinary tray.-

To bring the legs to their extended positions the grips 18 are turned bya slight outward pressure of the wrists of the operator causing thelinks 21, 20 and 16 to draw the leg supports 4 along the springs 13 andinto engagement with the frame 2 where they are rigdly held by thepressure of the said springs against the projecting ends of I the plates7.

What I claim is: 1. In a tray, a frame, a top secured to said frame, aplurality of legs rigidly connected by cross bars and hinged to saidtray in sets, spring latch mechanisms for mamtaining said legs in theirextended posi tions, members adapted to depress the springs of saidlatches and disengage them from their fastenings and toggle-jointmechanism operatively connected with said memhers.-

2. In tray, a frame, a top secured to said frame, folding-legs securedunder said top, spring latch mechanism for maintaining said legs intheir extended positions, latch opening members, toggle-joints pivotallyconnected to said opening members and'tray handles having rotativemembers rigidly secured to the toggle joint sections.

3. A tray, a frame extending downwardly from said tray, transverse legsupports hinged to the under side of said tray and carrying legs andswinging outwardly against said frame, spring members locking said legsupports to said frame, releasing members secured to said leg supportsand slotted to receive said springs, handle brackets secured to the trayends, grips rotatably mounted in said brackets and having arms rigidtherewith and extending downwardly therefrom and links joining said armsto said releasing members.

4. A tray, a frame extending downwardly from said tray, transverse legsupports hinged to the under side of said tray and carrying legs andswinging outwardly against said frame, spring members secured to theunderside of said tray and locking said leg supports to said frame whensaid legs are in their upright positions, releasing plates looselymounted on said leg supports and slotted to receive said springs, 1eversconnected to said plates, handle brackets secured to. the tray ends,grips rotatably mounted in said brackets and having arms rigid therewithand extending downwardly therefrom and links joining' said arms to saidlevers.

5. A tray, :1. frame extending downwardly from said tray, transverse legsupports hingedly secured to'the under side of said tray and carryinglegs, sprin members secured to the under side of sai tray and holdingsaid legs to their upright positions, releasing plates loosely mountedon said leg supports and engaging said springs, curved lugs extendingoutwardly from said releasing plates and projecting beyond the edges ofsaid leg supports, lever handles, and links pivotally connecting saidlever handles and I said lugs.

- 6. A. tray, a frame extending downwardly from said tray, transverseleg sup orts hing edly secured tothe under side 0? said tray andcarrying legs, spring members secured to the under side of said tray andholding said le to their upright positions, releasing plates ldoselymounted on said leg supports and engaging said springs, curved lugsextending outwardly from said releasing plates and projecting beyond theedges of said leg supports, handle brackets rigidly secured. to the trayends, shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets and carrying gri srotatable therewith, and having arms rigidly secured thereto andextending downwardly and links connecting said arms to said lugs. 7. Atray, a frame extending downwardly from said tray, transverse leg suports hingedly securedto the under side of and carrying legs, sprinmembers secured to the under side of sai tray and holding said legs totheir upright positions, releasing plates loosely mounted on said legsupports and engaging said springs, curved lugs extending outwardly fromsaid releasing said tray plates and projecting beyond the edges of saidleg supports, handle brackets rigidly secured to the tray ends, saidbrackets being slotted longitudinally on their outside edges,

.' shafts rotatably mounted in said brackets and carrying gripsrotatable therewith, and having arms rigidly secured thereto and adaptedto enter said slots when the legs are in the collapsed positions, andlinks connecting said arms to said lugs.

Signed at the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, this third day ofMay 1916.

GEORGE EDWIN BILTON. Witnesses:

W. G. HAMMOND, M. BLACKWELLL

